Pakistan confirms 5th polio case of year 17 days after victim's death
The HinduPakistan has confirmed the fifth polio case of the year, more than a fortnight after the victim's death, jolting the country's efforts to eradicate the crippling disease. With the onset of paralysis on April 29, the case was confirmed after six weeks on Saturday, instead of the usual three weeks taken for diagnosis, the report said, quoting an official at the Regional Reference Laboratory of the National Institute of Health. The Prime Minister’s coordinator on National Health Services, Dr Malik Mukhtar Bharat, said the case served as a reminder that until Pakistan achieved polio eradication, no child would be completely safe from the crippling disease. Muhammad Anwarul Haq, the new coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, said an investigation was underway to trace the source of the virus that led to the infection and identify potential gaps in vaccination coverage.